Mapping Command 2.0: Diplomacy

This is another installment of the Mapping Command redux series. No bit plot changes, a few extra lines here and there, lots of typo fixing. If you’re new to the series this is the sequel to Mapping Command:First Contact. I’d recommend reading that one first. If you’re a Mapping Command veteran, welcome back aboard. There are two more chapters in this series; MC:Rebellion and MC:Insurrection. As always, I’m interested to hear what you think.

|1.0

Cole was trying hard to pay attention to what they were saying but the scenery was making it difficult. Below was a massive chasm with a river at the bottom, just visible through the trees. Waterfalls thundered over the edges of the precipice on all three sides, filling it with mist and rainbows. There were tiny structures in the branches of the trees, spider webs in the sun. Then you realized that the gossamer webs were actually bridges that rivaled any bridge on Earth. The bumps scattered along the branches were massive lodges, nearly as large as stadiums but far more beautiful, reminiscent of Gaudi’s buildings, and the wispy horsetails of the minor falls were as easily as big as Niagara had been. He began to truly appreciate the titanic scale of the forest and miles deep chasm far below…

(…Cole?) the one he thought of as “Eldest” said.

He took a deep breath. “I apologize, would you repeat that again?”

There was laughter in his mind and he smiled, despite his embarrassment.

(I must take you to this place, I would enjoy seeing your face.)

He felt amusement from the other Elders and as another one spoke, the scene of waterfalls was replaced by the view from a tree, taller than any around it and the endless expanse of treetops to horizon, mist catching the golden rays of the sun…

Goddammit Cole, concentrate!

There was more laughter.

(We are pleased you find our home beautiful. I was speaking of the…chemistry? Yes, chemistry of your bodies. I am not able to find any of the harmful interactions that occur with our chemistry. The young could live among the humans with no ill effects)

The scene shifted again as another spoke, tree trunks vanishing into the distance, blurred by mist and Cole reminded himself that he wasn’t any of these places. Instead he was sitting on a platform that had been quickly constructed above “their” clearing beside the river. He was surrounded by Lakshmi’s people, all of them touching as they spoke. Instead of names, each seemed to have a different mental landscape view. When they spoke, the point of view shifted to the one speaking, including their feelings about what they said. It was the most distracting and stunningly gorgeous meeting he’d ever attended.

And the most important he thought and pinched his hand.

(…but I think that before any agreement can be made, we must include the males. They have as much of a concern here as we do)

That was the youngest of the Elders, Cole had gotten the idea that she was something of a radical. She often argued different views of the others, especially about relationships among the males. He was still a little apprehensive about meeting the males but these Elders had all assured that he would never be harmed.

(Yes, and we will not move from this place until we speak with the others. However they view the issue, the survival of our people will be carried on. Even if we must…***)

The voices dissolved into a sort of mental gibberish. Cole had first noticed it when they had attempted to discuss concepts of time. It seemed like there was only so much he could grasp of what they were saying. Beyond that, the concepts and words just didn’t make any sense.

Cole was suddenly sitting high over the chasm.

(Enough. These matters would be addressed if the path leads in that direction. We are agreed in three things; the gathering of humans as tathinni is far from the path for all, there is nothing of balance to it but whatever is agreed between a human and the People is their own path and not our People’s. Next, the agreement with Cole and Leah stands. We will meet with their Elders but they are…****…and will always be Beloved of the People. Last, a meeting place will be chosen near the wastelands where humans live. A permanent place will be built there and humans and People will dwell there as they will. Cole, do you understand and agree?)

“I do, and thank you for putting up with my ignorance of your ways.”

There was some smiling and amusement at that. Then he caught a familiar smell a second before Lakshmi climbed onto the meeting room, cradling Leah on her back.

(Elder ones, forgive the intrusion. Leah awoke and asked about your discussion. I will leave her and depart)

(Remain with us, this concerns you as well)

Cole got up and kissed Leah, ignoring the Elders as they stared.

“How’s it going here?”

Cole smiled. “You would not believe what this is like. I’m glad you’re here. I think we were just wrapping up. Come on.”

The humans sat down and Leah smiled at everyone. “Hello beautiful Others. I’m sorry I slept through all of this.”

(It is nothing, we saw that your celebration was strenuous)

There were hoots of appreciative laughter and Leah blushed. Cole smiled and she poked him in the ribs.

(I have something to say) It was the youngest of the Elders and Leah gasped, holding tight to Cole as they shifted to her landscape.

“Sorry, I should have mentioned that. But just wait.”

(Now that the three are here I would like to propose…####)
The mental static went on for a while and then there was a sense of agreement.

They shifted to the canyon and the voice of the Eldest.

“Holy shit! Tell me that’s a real place,” Leah whispered.

“That’s Lakshmi’s real home,” Cole whispered back.

“We’ve got to go there!”

(I will take you) Lakshmi promised.

Leah closed her eyes and smiled as the “landscapes” shifted for each Other that spoke. Cole tried to listen but he could only grasp an occasional concept.

“What’s an eloisha?” Leah whispered.

“That’s what they babies are called for the first part of their life.”

“And dreahnnai hoom?”

“As far as I can understand, it’s a spirit that inhabits some of trees. Not the whole forest, Lakshmi laughed her head off when I asked, no idea why.”

“Like a nature god?”

“Not god, a supervising spirit that runs things. More like the old hippy theory about Gaia.”

“Wow, you’ve been busy,” Leah said.

“I’m starving,” he whispered back and she laughed.

After another hour the council began to break up and the Others stretched, hanging from the platform or swinging into nearby trees. The eldest of the council came over and put her hands on Leah and Cole’s heads.

(I sense that you did not grasp much of what was said. It concerned how our people will be told, who will go to the distant lodges and inform them of what has happened. We also will request that you find a place where we may build a meeting lodge together. I feel that this place is distant from your home lodges, the young one you have named Lakshmi will accompany you and aid you in finding a suitable place. We wish to remain within the forest, but on the edge of the wastes you inhabit is acceptable to me)

Cole nodded. “I was going to suggest that. Being too far away from the buildings there would cause some problems.

There was mental laughter. (I’m certain that I face the same problems with my distant sisters. They will come there in time. Lakshmi will also show you a way of summoning us should there be problems before the lodge is built. I have enjoyed our time with you greatly and I look forward to speaking again)

“So have we,” Leah said. “I can’t wait to see your home.”

(I am pleased you find it beautiful. There is one more thing we will speak of)

The Eldest arranged herself in front of them and they joined hands. (This time together has given me an understanding of your minds. You may find in the coming weeks that you will learn us better through my youngest sister, Lakshmi. But I must make something clear to our new human friends. You both showed great love for our people in joining your path to ours. The word will be spread among all of us that you are now Beloved of our all people, male and female alike. Now there will always be a home for you among us, we will defend you and cherish you as our own)

“We are deeply honored by that,” Leah said. “I am so happy that we are able to help.”

There was a sense of hesitation, almost embarrassment. (I have a question that I wanted to ask privately. The incubators Cole spoke of, we respect the certainty that they will help. As I got to know your minds better, I felt a sense of curiosity about matters of pleasure. Is this common among your people?)

Cole laughed. “Many of us. You want to know if there are more of us that will want to carry your children?”

(That is the way of it. I am hesitant to ask yet more of you, but many of us sense a great change, a flowering if you like, between our peoples. The eloisha shared your minds as they grew. Deep in my mind, I know that they will be different, that something new has begun here. Others will notice and they will inquire, wanting the best for all our little ones)

Leah stroked her hand. “The curiosity is common among my people. I can’t say for certain how many people will want the same thing, but I’m sure there will be others. Even if no one else is interested, I want to carry more,” Leah said.

(Why are you so sure? The pleasure?)

“That helps but there’s a more important reason for me. In places that we travel, there is a kind of invisible called radiation. It poisons most life, often slowly. Cole and I were both exposed to the light during the fight for our home and in our searches for new places. Neither of us are able to create new life.”

Eldest caressed both of their minds. (This is the very deep sadness I feel inside you, more than the loss of your home. I believe this is why you were so willing to forgive the foolishness of young Lakshmi and so willing to love our people as your own)

Leah wiped her eyes. “I had much the same thought. It must have been difficult letting them go, even when your tathinni helped.”

(When they grew among the tathinni there were losses but only a few and we accepted that. All life strives. I think the dreahnnai hoom chose you, perhaps you were the only ones who could understand our anguish as fewer of our eloisha became Anek)

“Then I’m grateful to them,” Leah said.

(As are all thinking things, in their own way. All of us must eat soon, so I will go and hunt. We will return here and stay for the night. All want to remember this place that our people were saved. I will return soon)

|2.0

Leah sat on the edge of the stream, dangling her feet in the water. Three of the humming bird sized eloisha were chirping and whistling as they landed on her head and shoulders, jumping off again to circle and dive around her and Cole. Cole was on his back beside her, feet in the stream as he stared up at the trees. One of the babies discovered Cole’s shirtless stomach made a good trampoline and soon all three found a new game, leaping off Leah’s head and bouncing off Cole and back into the air, hooting with tiny voices.

“Not what I thought an afternoon with the kids would be like,” Leah said, watching one of the eloisha as it began to wrestle a button on her shirt.

“Better or worse?” he asked.

“Better, now that I’m here. Why do the Anek go away to eat?”

“You can ask Lakshmi, but I got the feeling that it wasn’t something they do the same way we do.”

“I don’t think that’s how they do things. They feel like she’s a little bit of a goofball but a very lucky one. They like luck.”

“We’ll have to teach them poker. They’ll have whole new ways to cheat. It’ll be fun.”

They chatted occasionally, watching the shadows shift through the trees as the day went on. Leah got meal bars out and handed one to Cole. Their “triplets” sniffed at the bars and chirped. They looked at the bar and then up at Leah with a sense of surprised disgust before gliding up into the trees.

“I felt the same way the first time I ate one,” Cole said. “I wonder what they eat.”

“For now, they chase tiny creatures in the tree tops,” Lakshmi said from above them.

“Hey you! Want to come down and sit with us?” Leah said, looking up.

“You need time together and I did not want to disturb the young.”

“Does sitting by the water bother you?”

“Not in daylight.” Lakshmi swung down and padded across the clearing. She sat behind them, touching each lightly.

Cole wondered what was running around out here that he didn’t know about.

(Bad memories of tathinni, some things that are mostly elsewhere. Deep water holds a creature that will eat us, given a chance. Boogey Man? Yes. Your words are wonderful at times)

“Everything is okay with you and the Elders?” Leah asked.

(Yes, I have become the human expert)

“Well, yeah.” Cole said and Leah laughed.

(You must return tomorrow?)

Leah nodded. “Since we ‘just’ met, the colony leader must be informed.”

(I can move faster than you. If I carried you, we could choose a place for the Meeting Lodge on the journey. I have a place in mind. Then I will go to a nearby settlement and tell my story. Shall I return then? I feel a sense of belonging with you)

“We’d like that very much,” Cole said. “The Anek live in family groups?”

(Not family in the sense of our children, though those that have almost become Anek often seek out their mother, or fathers if they are male. We group ourselves by friendship and affection)

“I’m glad you feel that way about us,” Leah said. “Are you done…hunting?”

Lakshmi laughed. (Yes, we have all fed ourselves. Thank you for being polite, that is one of many things we will have to learn about each other. As the others finish their hunt they will return to the meeting place to enjoy time together. They will even stay awake in the dark, singing and telling tales, all the things that strengthen our bonds. They have invited the three of us to take part)

“You want to go, don’t you?” asked Leah.

(It is a great honor to be invited.)

“Then we happily accept.”

That evening, Cole and Leah sat among the Elders, baffled by most of what was going on but enjoying themselves anyway. There seemed to be several things going on at once, a sort of song, a counting game that may have been part of the song or not, smells that went back and forth that must have been a different kind of conversation, and a chirping chuckling hum that moved in and out of hearing. The chaos was fun at first but became overwhelming after a while.

“I’m sorry, I’m getting a headache,” Leah finally said to Cole.

“Me too. We don’t mean to cause offense but this is a little much for us.”

(What part of it bothers you?) Lakshmi asked, feeling concerned.

“All of it, I’m sorry,” Leah said. “Our little brains aren’t set up to take all of that in at once.”

Eldest was amazed. (You can hear ALL of our voices?)

When Leah and Cole described what they were feeling, there was the faint citrus scent that indicated surprise. The feelings of awe and amusement washed over them.

(We only listen in one way at a time, part of the game is dashing from one thing to another in our mind…I see you cannot quite grasp this but be assured your “little” brains are quite amazing. We’ll concentrate on touch talk for you. Sisters, let us show them all the places here that we know)

After that was a sort of virtual slideshow of the planet and it was long after dark before anyone wanted to stop. Lakshmi took Cole and Leah back to her nest, behind them Cole heard the Elders start to chatter again.

|3.0

(Goodbye for now, Beloved.)

Leah hugged her. “We’ll see you in four days at the meeting lodge place.”

(Agreed. Burn the plant I showed you if I am not there.)

Lakshmi leapt to a tree, already ten meters off the ground. She whistled a goodbye and rapidly ran up the rough bark and into the lower branches.

“That was fun,” Cole said, putting on his pack.

“You’re a sick man,” Leah grumbled, putting her own on.

“Did you even open your eyes?”

“I closed them five minutes into the first trip. That was terrifying.”

“We had to have been going forty, fifty kilometers an hour through those trees!”

“Yes, I know.”

“And those jumps!”

“Cole.”

He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Sorry.”

“I’ll take the long way next time, you and Lakshmi can go Tarzaning through the trees by yourselves.”

“I’m starting to realize that we’re damned lucky the Anek are friendly.”

“I know, the colony wouldn’t have lasted a week if they didn’t want us here. As strong and fast as Lakshmi is I don’t think technology would make a difference.”

“So we’re going to see Owen first.”

“First thing.” Leah walked through the trees and stopped. “Hey, this is our campsite from last time. Let’s stop here for a few minutes and get on the same page.”

“Right.”

They climbed up on a massive root and sat down, looking out over the river valley and colony.

“Changing this over to a scientific mission is going to shake things up some. But I think Owen should stay in charge. I don’t want Hub sending some bureaucratic favorite out here to take charge,” Leah said. “He’s done an amazing job keeping these people together and functional, especially after losing that many.”

“It’s amazing, considering what he started with.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Admin of New Plymouth was related to Committeeperson Ross who went and preempted all the specialists for Arboreal. Owen got stuck with what they didn’t want and they filled out the rest of his people with the people no one else wanted.”

“How do you know that?’

“Background research, I found out just before we left.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Cole smiled. “What would you have done?”

“I would have scheduled a meeting with Ross.”

“To punch him out.”

“Exactly, I can’t stand that fat, sanctimonious fuck.”

“And that’s why.”

Leah laughed. “Thank you for saving me from myself, husband.”

“You are welcome, wife. Honestly, I forgot until we started planning, it didn’t seem that important after the outbreak here. But I agree, Owen deserves a chance to run the show. I get the feeling he’s pretty good.”

“I agree.”

Maya, Owen’s assistant, tapped on his open door. “Leah and Cole from the survey team are here. They’re back early and they said it’s urgent but didn’t say what it was.”

“Okay thanks.”

He looked back at the screen and then back up when he realized Maya was still standing there. “Just message them that I can meet with them whenever.”

“They’re waiting outside.”

“Oh, why didn’t you just bring them in?”

“They won’t tell me what it’s about though.”

“Maya, they’re both CMC officers. They don’t need to tell you anything. Hell, they’re not required to tell me anything. Bring them in.”

She went to get them and returned with Leah and Cole.

“Sorry to barge in Administrator,” Cole said.

“Seriously, call me Owen. There’s not enough of us left to say that I’m administrating anything. Sit down, what can I do for you?”

“We’re here in an official capacity,” Leah said. “For the moment, this info is for your ears only.”

“Uh oh. Maya, could you close the door please?”

Maya looked disappointed but nodded and left.

Owen sighed. “I don’t suppose this is wonderful news and you don’t want people dancing in the streets prematurely.”

“Administrator Lykos, I have the duty and privilege to inform you that my team made contact with a group of sentient Others two days ago. They were representatives of a culture native to Arboreal.”

Owen stared at them for a few seconds. “You’re serious.”

Cole and Leah nodded.

He sighed and rubbed his face for a few seconds before leaning back in his chair. “Of course this is an inhabited planet. There wasn’t much else left to go wrong.”
Owen turned and reached down to open a bottom drawer. “You know, the night I heard the name of your ship, I half considered telling you to go away. My grandparents were Greek and I knew Xerxes was going to be a bad omen.”

“Wow, that’s got to be some kind of record in grudge holding,” Leah said.

“We all have our gifts,” Owen said, rooting around in the drawer. “How did the surveys miss them?”

“I’ve been trying to figure that out myself,” Cole said. “First guess, this clearing was the only place they were able to land. The natives are tree dwellers and don’t usually venture into the open. Whatever it is in the trees that’s messing with the wireless signals would have messed with electro-chem scans too. They’re about two-hundred years behind us, tech wise, so there’d be no EM radiation to pick up on, if the tree interference didn’t completely mask it.”

Owen sat up holding a glass bottle full of a dark liquid. “Being the colony admin here has been a shit-show from day one and this is the perfect ending. Now, is that it, or is there even more? Let me guess; we’ve settled in a graveyard of their most beloved emperors.”

“Uhm, nope. They refer to this area a wasteland.”

He pulled the cap off the bottle and looked at it. “And it’s taboo to settle here and they’re pissed as hell.”

“Your pessimism is top notch, but no,” Cole said. “They were very happy to talk to us.”

“Doesn’t matter how they feel. CMC will order the evacuation of my colony. I’ll be lucky to ever get offworld again.” He tossed the cap in the recycle bin and closed the laptop. “I think I can skip peanut and banana crop quotas. Want some rum? We make it ourselves.”

“Well, yeah. But before we get tore up, don’t you want to hear the good news?”

Owen pointed the bottle at Leah and raised his eyebrows. She nodded and he got three glasses out of the drawer. “Good news always makes me nervous, but if you must.”

“Cheer up Owen,” Leah said. “The good news is that they really want us to stay. I mean, really want us to stay.”
“Why? Do they plan on eating us?”

Cole laughed. “No. We sat down with them and talked…”

“Wait, how could you talk?”

“A traveling band found your missing survey crew. One of them was still alive and gave them a tablet and showed them how to use it before he died. They’re adept at….”

Owen held up his hand. “Stop there for a second.” He poured an inch of rum into each of the glasses and pushed them across the desk. He picked his glass up and Leah and Cole did the same.

“So passes the glory of the searchers,” Leah said. “It’s tradition for the survey crews that are lost.”

“That’s nice. Did they happen to mention where the bodies were?”

“They took them and performed their ceremonies for honored dead. It’s a taboo subject, but they’ll discuss it with us if we want.”

Owen shook his head. “It’s as good an end as anything else these days. Why do they want us to stay?”

“They’re in big trouble and facing their own extinction,” Leah said. “We can help them without much trouble. Their population has been crashing because of a complicated issue that interfered with breeding generations ago. What they need from us is pretty simple, incubators and a safe place to raise the young.”

“They already requested a permanent meeting place,” Cole said. “We have a tentative spot nearby. Our contact would also like to meet you, soonest. She’ll set up a meeting with their Elders. Do you think you could handle a science mission and diplomacy instead of a colony?”

“It would be a dream job, but let’s be realistic Captain. First Contact with a friendly race of tech users? This will go to someone with more connections than me. Anyway, I’m not a tech type and I haven’t done any diplomatic training.”

“Guys, I know you’re CMC and not that goddamned Committee, but you have to know that assignments like this don’t get handed out to people like me. I’m a refugee, wasn’t anyone important on Earth. I wasn’t part of Vanguard and I don’t know anyone who was.”

Leah spoke up. “Now you do. First of all, they owe you. You got screwed over royally by Hub and it’s not a secret. We know that Shai and Kayleigh…”

“Wait, you’re talking about the Director of Colonial Mapping Command and her wife? Shailaja Parvathi and Kayleigh Evans?”

“Of course. We were friends back before the Diaspora even started.”

“And you got sent here?”

“Shai assigned us personally. I told you, that outbreak isn’t a secret.”

“That’s true,” Cole said. “There’s a whole new crew of janitorial and hull cleaning techs because of that.”

“I thought they’d forgotten all about us. Honestly, I was surprised to hear you were coming at all.”

“Until someone invents some kind of ansible, communication is going to suck with the colonies. No Owen, I guarantee Kayleigh and Shai keep track of every single outpost and colony and worry about all of you. Kayleigh is really going to want the simplest solution. Believe it or not, they hate the bureaucracy that’s taking over Hub as much as you do.”

“Oh I believe it. You really were both part of the Vanguard Project?”

Leah smiled. “My parents met at Almaro. I was born into the Project, graduated from Armstrong High and everything. I tested into the Advisors and Engineers.”

Owen looked at Cole who shrugged. “I’m a newbie, they stole me from the Air Force two years before Announcement Day.”

“Cole is modest, he trained a lot of the Raptors.”

Owen’s eyes widened as he made the connection. “Holy shit, you’re that Captain Morgan aren’t you?”

“I’d really like to keep that quiet,” Cole said. “Please. That part of my life is done. This part is way more fun.”

“Then before I officially forget who you are, I want to say thank you. I can see you’re embarrassed now, so I’ve already forgotten.”

“So, poof, now you’re politically connected,” Leah said. “But it’s probably not what you think it is. Just as much, or more, hard work and sleepless nights. But there’s a lot less interference doing it. Owen, we both know you can handle it, you’ve kept a crew of leftovers together after a tragedy that would have ended most colonies. If you want to run this, and I hope you do, we’ll send our own private messages to the Big Office saying you’re the best candidate.”

“So what are they like?”

“Sort of centaur like, a little bit spider like, but not either really,” Leah said. “Hard to describe, but they’re utterly amazing people.”

“You like them a lot.”

Cole nodded. “Owen, they took care of our sick without question. They communicate with voices partially, but there is a way they can touch you and you hear their voice. You also can feel their personality. Diplomacy is going to be interesting, they don’t seem to lie and there’s absolutely no wiggle room in what they say because you can feel their intention.”

“I think they’re wonderful,” Leah said. “Healing is almost a religion to them, one of their biggest sins is chasing a wounded thing away. Which is another big reason they don’t want us to go.”

“What do you mean?”

“We told them about Earth, they didn’t have a concept of separate planets and couldn’t figure out where we were coming from since they saw us falling out of the sky.”

Owen rubbed his eyes. “Cultural Affairs on Hub is going to utterly lose their shit over that. So, they found out about Earth and…”

“And they realized that we’re all wounded. Which is true, isn’t it? They’re concerned about us and want us to be whole.”

“They’re going to experiment on us, aren’t they?”

Cole and Leah both laughed. After a second Owen did too. “Okay, that was a little over the top, I admit. So they’re going to try to heal us?”

“I got the impression they want us to rest and heal ourselves,” Cole said. “That’s not to say they won’t try to help at some point. Leah is right, they’re incredibly likeable. Gentle, curious, a sense of humor, They could easily be another ‘best friend’ race like the Gyr.”

“Okay, let’s keep this to one raft of mayhem at a time. That whole theory is completely over my head anyway. You said they’re behind us technologically?”

“The Anek are at about the level of the steam engine.””

“Anek?”

“They don’t use names like we do. In the conversation they asked me to come up with a name to refer to them. I thought of the goddess Lakshmi and Leah came up with Anek Haath, many hands. They have ten different limbs.”

“You two named an entire race? Holy shit, Cultural is going to crucify you.”

Cole snorted. “I’m CMC, not some parasitic bureaucrat so they’d have to leave their safe cozy offices. I’m not worried. Anyway, I didn’t name them, they have their own name but it’s a feeling and an odor, not a word. Cultural can spend ten years flailing around for translation and you know what? It’ll come out as ‘People’ because individualistic races always do.”

“My boyfriend was Indian, you know they don’t actually think Shiva, Parvathi and all the rest really had lots of arms, right? Those are their aspects. You’ll get Cultural wound up about that too.”

“Owen, you know what they’d start being called otherwise?” Leah asked. “People living high in the trees with multiple arms? Spiders. I know, because Cole and I both started thinking of them that way. Cultural can sit and spin because these are wonderful people, they shouldn’t be called monsters. I bet Hindi speakers won’t mind, if they even think about it.”

“Okay, okay. Just be ready for that fallout is all I’m saying. You were saying they had steam engines?”

“No, they’re about that level of tech,” Leah said. “They don’t need steam engines; they provide the motive power themselves. They’re immensely strong. For example, one carried us from the meeting place to the place they want the permanent embassy. I was worried both of us were too heavy and she thought I was making a joke.”

“They’re also fast,” Cole said. “We probably traveled a hundred kilometers in three hours. If they had a problem with us none of you would be here.”

“What do you think?” Leah asked. “I think you can handle it, you’ve been asking questions like a pro.”

Owen smiled. “I want to run it. In fact, if I had a straight bone in my body, I’d probably be trying to kiss you right now.”

“What, you don’t think my husband is cute?”

“Uhm…anyway. Here’s to the Arboreal Scientific Mission.” Owen lifted his glass. They echoed him and drank.

“There’s still going to be a million details to work out,” Owen said.

“Probably more. But we can help and remember we’ve got help on their way. A lot of them have experience in this kind of stuff,” Leah said. “Hub will find an FCT somewhere to help us out.”

“So first we finish the rum,” Cole said. “And then I want to know the reason Owen ducked the question about me being cute.”

Leah sighed. “He’s a typical pilot, has to be adored be everyone.”

Owen laughed and poured another round of rum.

|4.0
Cole had partly dissembled the mule in front of their hab. He had started out planning to replace just the worn bearings in the bot’s “hips” but the more he took apart, the more he found wrong. He’d finally just decided to give the entire unit an overhaul.

Leah came out and sat on the bottom step watching him work. “I have cold water for you.”

Cole looked up from the electronic innards and smiled. “You are the best and most beautiful thing in the universe.”

Leah pouted at him. “But not the multiverse?”
She couldn’t keep the face very long before she started laughing.

“Well, if n, the given value for Leah, is infinite…”

“Yes?”

“Then I could be a very happy man,” Cole said.
He sat on the step beside her and taking a long drink of water.

“I can’t help but notice you dodged the question.”

“Yes ma’am, it’s the key to domestic bliss.”

She laughed and poked him in the ribs. “So, are their machinists going to come after you for tearing apart their toys?”

“I sure hope not, they both died.”

“Damn. Owen’s doing an amazing job but he’s running out of time here.”

“That’s why I’m doing my part to hold off entropy. If there’s time, I might tear down another one that stopped working.”

Leah looked at the collection of parts spread out on a tarp next to the robot and then at Cole’s greasy hands and smudged face. “You’re delighted you get to take something apart, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.”
“Admit it, you like getting all greasy and dirty.”
Cole leered at her. “Are you propositioning me?”
Leah laughed. “If you’re able to put all that back together, I’ll think about it.”
Cole went back to work and a few minutes later, Gavin came down the path. He stopped when he saw Leah.
“Hey there.”

“Hi Gavin, how are you?”

“I stopped by to see if the relay modification worked.”

“I’m sorry, we ran into some issues with other things and I didn’t have a chance to try it. This is my husband, Cole. I don’t think you’ve met. Cole, Gavin is the network guy I met with before we met.”

“Yeah, hi.” Gavin glanced briefly at Cole who was standing up and putting out his hand. He ignored him and went back to undressing Leah with his eyes. “Maybe we should have another meeting, I had some ideas for software mods.”

Leah got angry when she saw Gavin snub Cole. CMC might have relaxed social rules, but no one was ever rude like this. Not for long anyway.
“I’ll get my tablet, you can transfer them and I’ll take a look.”

Cole carefully unscrewed a battery relay. “Married back on Earth, if there’s a difference. We met at Echo-Alpha.”

“Yeah? I was there myself, I was in the first wave of volunteers right after Announcement Day. Graduated with class number one of the Colonial Guards.”

“Cool.”

“You’re a Pioneer, right? What class?”

“I was recruited from outside, just did a familiarization thing, we didn’t have class numbers.”

“Oh, okay. You were one of the tech weenies we saw around.”

Cole looked up, tired of the condescending dismissal in his voice. “Actually, no. I arrived two years before Announcement Day. I was a flight instructor and a squadron pilot. After the Defense ended, I transferred to work with my wife.”

Gavin smiled, it was pretty obvious he didn’t believe Cole. “Oh okay. You were a real live Vanguard Raptor then? What did you fly?”

“Red Tails with Squadron 22.”

“Uh huh. And you were a Nightingale during the Defense.”

Cole nodded. “Yep. Not fun times.”

“Sorry, I should have told you his last name,” Leah said from the doorway. “I didn’t know you were into that stuff. This is Captain Cole Morgan.”

Gavin laughed and shook his head. “No, no way.”

Cole pointed a screwdriver at his tablet. “Look it up. My service records are part of the heritage wiki.”

Gavin scrolled around and then looked at Cole and then at the tablet again. “Uh, okay. Sorry about that, Captain. It’s an honor.”

“Just Cole, that part of life is over. Leah, I’ve got to go over to the shop and see if there’s a new set of relays.”

“Other than seeing Earth die with his own eyes you mean?” Leah said. “If you weren’t there I don’t think you’d understand. So, what are these mods about?”

Gavin looked her over again. “There aren’t any, just wanted to talk to you alone. We both know you were checking me out in the park. I was about to make my move when Admin pinged me and you took off. I came by to see if you wanted to pick things back up where we left them.”

“I didn’t think things were any specific place. If you’re interested in seeing if there’s chemistry, bring your girlfriend over for drinks tonight and we’ll talk about it.”

“Maya? Why would I do that?”

“You want us to share with you, right? You share with us back.”

“Nope. I don’t play that way.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think you would. Look Gavin, I know Mapping has a reputation for some crazy stuff and bed hopping happens. But it’s not just about getting your nut with someone’s wife. It’s more about the strong bonds between people doing a dangerous job and sharing affection. I apologize for giving you the wrong impression but I’m not interested.”

Gavin looked pissed and took a step toward her. Leah hopped off the step, facing him at a slight angle.
“I think you’re about to do something stupid,” she said softly. “Before you do, take a look at me and see if I look scared. And I’ll warn you, you’re a lot bigger than me and that means I can’t risk giving you a gentle lesson. I will break something.”

“Think I’m scared of you?”

Leah kept talking like she hadn’t heard him. “And if I hear that you’ve laid a hand on anyone else without their permission, it would be best if you started walking and didn’t come back.”

Gavin tensed, getting ready to make her flinch but Leah just relaxed more. Something made him take a closer look at her and he decided to back off. No, she didn’t look scared. In fact, he could tell she was really looking forward to fighting.

“Whatever. Fucking cock-teasing cunt,” he muttered, stalking away.

Leah stood there and watched him leave. She was glad Cole wasn’t anywhere he could have seen this. She didn’t want to try to explain to Owen why her husband had murdered his comms tech.

The next morning, Leah yawned and rolled over. Cole wasn’t in bed and she got up and looked outside. He was on the shared porch between their hab and the empty one next door doing Tai Chi in just a pair of shorts. Leah yawned again and went to make coffee. While she was waiting for it to brew, she looked out the other window and was amused to see that across the path there were two female colonists on their porch watching him intently.

A few minutes later Cole came in and she gave him a cup of coffee. “You should do that naked like you do on the ship.”

“Thank you, and why is that?”

“You had some admirers across the way.”

Cole looked out the window but the women had left.

Leah laughed. “Probably inside wiping the drool off.”

“Uh huh, right. What time is Owen coming by?”

“About half an hour, go get cleaned up.”

Owen looked up at the three mammoth trees. “I don’t think structural stability will be an issue. How high up will they put it?”

“About seventy meters,” Cole said. “Much lower than that and they’re not comfortable.”

“How will we get up there?”

“I was thinking a solar/wind mini-array powering a lift basket,” Leah said. “Lakshmi showed us that trees generate their own microclimes, there’s an almost constant updraft close to the trunk.”

“Interesting. There’s a good sightline to the colony up there?”

Leah nodded. “I was planning for a direct link laser to get around the EM interference.”

Owen nodded. “That works for me. When does all this happen?”

“Lakshmi, our contact, will meet us back here three days from now. She showed us a way to reach out to anyone nearby as well,” Cole said. He walked along the immense buttress root until he found a mossy plant. “You burn this, evidently they can smell this a long way off. You’ll need a hot flame, it’s hard to get going.”

Owen took a careful picture of the plant. “What does it smell like?”

“It’s not bad, kind of a spicy smell. Rub it on your fingers.”

They were walking back the quad when there was a double boom that echoed across the clearing. Cole shaded his eyes and pointed at a contrail.

“Wonder who that is?” Leah said.

Owen looked at his tablet. “Maya says it’s the Agamemnon.”

“That’s a Greek name, now you can relax. That’s Marie Martin’s ship. She’s been working with Henry Rogeau. I told you that help was on the way.”

“Stop looking smug Captain Jones. Otherwise you can walk back from here.”

“Sorry Mr. Administrator, sir.”

“That’s better.”

When they pulled back into the colony, there were a crowd of people standing around in front of the administration building. “What’s that all about?” Leah asked.

“Probably nothing good,” Owen sighed.

He pulled up beside the crowd, Gavin was standing on the porch with a couple of other men. “Administrator.”

“What’s going on, Gavin?”

Gavin made a point of looking at Leah and Cole. “We’d all like to know where you disappeared to with these two.”

“Disappeared?” Owen said, holding up a tablet. “That assumes I was out of contact.”

“It was set to emergency notify only.”

Owen walked up the stairs and Cole started to follow him but Leah put a hand on his arm and shook her head.

“Was there an emergency?” Owen asked, looking around.

“There’s a shuttle landing!” a younger man behind Gavin exclaimed.
Leah and Cole both recognized his voice as the one who had bluffed about having auto-guns when they’d arrived.

“That’s why we have a runway, Brad.” Owen said. “I thought we had covered this already Gavin, I serve as the Administrator but that does not make me anyone’s slave. I have the same rights here as you or anyone else.”

“And there must be continuity in the government,” Gavin said. “We’ve asked you to appoint a deputy before. Now we’re here to demand. In fact, I’ve already been elected.”

Leah saw most of the crowd looking at each other and guessed they hadn’t been asked to vote.

Owen shook his head. “Go read your bylaws again Gavin. That’s not how it works.”

“Then it’s time to change the bylaws!”

“Oh shit,” Cole said quietly and Leah nodded. She pulled out her tablet and messaged Xerxes, entering a short message to be encrypted and given a priority when the next courier drone passed overhead.

“We’ve covered this as well. You signed the accords like everyone else,” Owen said calmly. “You have the right to file a protest with Hub and request inspectors to mediate the situation.”

“Like your friends there?” Gavin sneered and most of the crowd turned to look at Leah and Cole. “It’s time to tell us where you snuck off to.”

“Bleeding Christ,” Leah snapped. “The guy has been busting his ass to keep this place running and you’re gonna bitch because he took the morning off to show us around?”

“It’s not week-end,” Gavin blustered.

“What was the last break you worked?” someone yelled. “Owen is in his office all the time!”

There were a few laughs and Cole saw the crowd’s support for Gavin slipping away.

“Excuse me,” a new voice called. “Someone want to tell me where to park?”
It was Marie’s partner, Henry Rogeau. He had been born in Haiti and worked hard to cultivate his Creole-French accent.

“More mouths to feed now!” Brad said, throwing up his hands. “We’re gonna need us another Tea Party, CMC are invading like the Redcoats!”

“Redcoats!” Henry exclaimed.
He sprinted at the plastcrete base of the Administration hab and pushed off it, jumping to a rail, flipping over it to land on the porch. There were a few “oohs” from the crowd and he bowed slightly.

“Now, I beg your pardon, sir,” he said, his French accent thicker as he walked toward the kid. “I perhaps didn’t hear you correctly? Did you just imply that I am English?”

“No, that you were…” Brad tried to say.

“Non! Redcoats are English pig-dogs, no?”

“It was a metaphor!”

Laughter was starting to spread through the crowd.

Henry shook his head sadly. “Don’t you mean a simile?”

Brad stammered but no one was paying attention to him anymore.

“This isn’t over,” Gavin said quietly to Owen.

He shrugged. “I think we’re done for now.”

“Now, who can tell me where to park?” Henry yelled over the laughter and the crowd pointed at several ground crew hurrying away toward the field.

“What was that all about?” a woman asked Leah.

“Marie!” Leah hugged the slender woman. She was a bit shorter than Leah with large dark eyes and long black hair. “Owen has a bit of a power struggle going on. How was your transit?”

“Boring as ever,” Marie said. “How’s the survey going?”

Leah raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Uh oh, I know that look.”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to the colony admin, he’s a good guy.”

When they went inside, Maya was already Owen’s office. Leah tapped a bent finger against her lips and Marie nodded, recognizing the hand-chat as talks too much, asks too much.

“Owen, I’m sorry,” Maya was saying. “I don’t know how he found out you weren’t in your office, I didn’t say a thing to anyone. I was enjoying the peace and quiet when they just started to show up.”

Owen smiled at her “Don’t worry about it. It was hardly a secret since I drove out of here this morning.”

“And I’m sorry about Gavin. I mean, I agree that you need a new deputy. But that’s just because you work so much that I really do worry about you. But…maybe someone with more experience than Gavin has?”

“Thanks Maya, it’s on my list of things to think about when I get a minute.”

“Okay. Is there anything you want me to work on?”

“Actually there is. Take the quad down to the cane field and see if you can find out why they’re so far behind down there.”

“Henry will be here in a few. Aggie already parked herself next to Xerx. I wonder how many chess games they’re playing already.”

Owen waved them in. “We’ll need another chair, grab Maya’s.”

Leah sat down as Cole wheeled the chair in.

“Owen, I’d like to introduce Marie Martin. She’s an old friend and a kick ass xeno-biologist. We had to steal her from the research group.”

Owen stood up and shook hands. “Captain, I am deeply in your debt for rearranging your schedule to come here.”

“It’s Marie, and you’re very welcome. I’m glad I can give you a hand. My partner is Henry Rogeau, he’ll be along in a minute.”

“Great. While we’re waiting, you look like you have something to say, Leah.”

“Just that I think you need to be very careful around your assistant.”

“I already know that. I’ve had a few sensitive issues leak that had to be her. But right now, my hands are tied, especially with so few people. Disruptions don’t ripple through the colony now, it’s more like a tsunami. I reassign her, you can bet her boyfriend will start having ‘problems’ keeping the comm net up and I’ll have a ton of angry people. Their friends include the coordinators of two of my farms, I don’t want to think that would play out.”

“Phew,” Marie said. “I don’t envy your job. Hopefully we can help you get a few more colonists settled.”

“You’d think with everything that’s happened we would have grown up a little,” Owen said. “But we’ve just dragged our problems with us.

Henry came in and was introduced to Owen. Leah went and locked the front door and Marie looked at her curiously.

“Go ahead,” Leah said to Owen.

He looked surprised for a second, then smiled and nodded. “Marie, Henry, these two showed up with some news yesterday…”

“…so we’re setting up an embassy now,” he finished half an hour later. Leah figured she’d probably tell Marie all of it later, but Henry presented more of a problem. He had already asked for a transfer, he’d just come along with Marie when they’d heard about the Arboreal mission. Plus, he’d kind of been a blabber mouth at school…

“Damn,” Marie said. “When’s your next courier go through?”

“Another week,” said Owen. “Leah said some of you can stand in for an FCT until we get an answer.”

“Probably longer than that,” Marie said. “Jake’s team was on deck but they got briefed for some problems out rimward. The Brazilians are weeks overdue, even if they showed up today there’s mandatory stand down and debriefing.”

“Wasn’t Ian Holm just getting a new crew together?”

Henry shook his head. “They got mixed up in a Dominion ambush during transit. Last anyone heard, they ejected planetside and half the team was still missing.”

“That’s everyone?” Cole asked.

“Remember, the Committee stole two of our teams. They have them both out certifying a new planet.”

Cole sighed. “I wish one of the Elder House Regiments was still around.”

“Who?” Owen had never heard of anything like that.

“Elder House Regiments are old Commonwealth military units. Really old, they’ve been around since the Empire. His Imperial Lantern and Emperor’s Armored Fist are two famous examples?”

Owen nodded. “I thought those were joke names.”

“Don’t say that to them. Anyway, the Regiments all have their own contact teams that function like our FCTs. But with the Dominion starting to get active, any help from the Commonwealth will be a long time coming.”

“So, what are you saying?” Owen asked.

“Same shit, different planet,” Henry said. “That’s why we all do FCT modules in training.”

Marie glanced at Henry and back to Owen. “It could be worse, the Anek sound friendly and they’re pre-flight tech. That removes some complications but there are always more that pop up. And we’ve all had experience with other first contacts twice. I don’t think anyone besides Cole is a strong empath but honestly? Almost all of it is common sense.”

“She’s right,” Leah said. “Obviously we won’t be speaking for the Commonwealth or setting up any treaties, but they’re not interested in trade agreements and I have the feeling that they could push us out any time they chose to. What they really want is our help, and to know if they can help us.”

Owen leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “Okay, with all that in mind; Cole and Leah, I’d like you to focus on the embassy lodge. You can use one of the quads to get back and forth so you don’t have to spend all your time walking. Comments?”

Cole thought for a second. “With only three quads working, why don’t we stay out there?”

“If you want, that’s fine. I’ll probably be stealing Leah every few days to work on the proposal. You’re still good with helping with that? Thanks. Marie and Henry, I’d like you to run another short survey leg along the original track. That’ll complete the southern side of the map and give you a decent introduction to the area.”

Marie nodded. “I agree. Would you like us to find any other new civilizations?”

“See, we’ve hardly met and I can already tell that you hate me. Once you’re back, I’ll steal one of you to help me here and the other one will help on the embassy if it’s needed. Or one of the other ten things that will come up. But first, Leah and Cole, you’re due crew rest and you other two are probably due a couple of days to tie one on and stumble around.”

“I’m good to go,” Cole said and Leah nodded.

“And you’re not due to meet your contact until the day after tomorrow. You’ve got more than enough time to work yourselves to death. I also don’t mind that Gavin and his friends will all see you four wandering around.”

“Weren’t you were French a minute ago? And no stabbing anyone, if I have to really say that. Now, all of you get the hell out of my office, I have real work to do.”

They got up and left.
“Damn, he’s good, why is he running a tiny colony?” Owen heard Henry ask as they were walking outside.

“Fake it til you make it, frog,” Owen muttered and called up a handbook on the alien contact checklists and began to read.

|5.0

“They put us in the hab across from yours,” Henry said. “You guys want to hang out later?”

Cole looked at Leah who nodded. “Sure, I’ve got a decent bottle of rum they make here.”

“That reminds me,” Marie said, “Wendy from hydroponics sent a care package along for you guys.”

“Excellent!” Leah said. “I could use a good smoke out at the moment.”

“Around eight?” Henry said. “Cool, we’ll see you then.”

Leah closed her eyes and sighed as the hot water ran down her back. There was a tap on the door. “Please come in,” she said.

Cole came in with two drinks in his hand. “Rum and fake fruit juice.”

“Yay. Get in here with me.”

“I was hoping you’d ask.” Cole was already naked and stepped into the spray.

Leah tasted her drink and then took a long swallow. “I thought shit was about to get pear shaped this afternoon. I sent a coded request for a security team to Xerxes, I’m half tempted to sleep out in the ship.”

“I’m glad Henry is such a lovable asshole, it was a pretty good distraction. I wouldn’t worry too much yet, a lot of that crowd was there for the entertainment. I don’t think Gavin has a ton of support.”

“Not yet anyway.”

He nodded. “Never underestimate the power of boredom. That will change soon enough. I wonder when Owen will tell them.”

“When he thinks everything is in good shape. He’s going to be very good I think.”

“I agree. Now, we’ve got two days off. What would you like to do?”

“I’d like to fuck, preferably a lot,” Leah said. She finished her drink and set the cup on the sink. “And sleep. Eat if there’s time.”

“Great minds think alike,” Cole said and put his drink beside hers. Leah smiled as he pushed her back against the wall and knelt down.

“Looks like you’ve got something on your mind,” she said as he put her leg over his shoulder.

Instead of answering, Cole licked along her lips and sucked her clit into his mouth.

“Holy shit,” Leah groaned and leaned back on the wall. “Your mouth feels so good baby, eat my pussy, I want to come all over your face. Yes, just like that…”

Leah was tingling before Cole was through with her. She tried to reciprocate but he refused to let her do anything except stand there while he toweled her dry. She collapsed in a chair and he brought them another pair of drinks.

Leah smiled. “I guess he’s really, really good in bed. Marie wasn’t the first person I heard that from. And don’t worry, I brag about you back.”

Cole laughed. “I really don’t want to know.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, in the interests of improving my game, what makes him good in bed?”

Leah sat up a little. “Your game doesn’t need any help, trust me. From what I’ve been told, he’s just as arrogant in bed and kind of rough. Some of our friends get off on that. I think it can be hot once in a while but not for two missions.”

“You really like that?”

“Do you remember fucking after my meeting with Gavin? That was incredibly hot and a little rough.”

“It was hot, but I don’t think I’d want that every time.”

“God no, I am so into making love with you. It’s just like…having a taste for horseradish sometimes.”

“Have you ever been tempted?”

“Would it bother you?”

“You are the center of my life. The only thing that would bother me is if you felt like you had to hide something. I’m madly in love with every part of you.”

Leah got up and came over to his chair. “I want to sit on your lap.”

He held his arms open and she sat to the side, legs crossing his lap. Owen kissed her head. “I take the question back though. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not. We’ve never talked about this kind of thing and I’d just feel better if we were touching. Plus I like being naked with you. Okay, ask me again.”

“Have you ever been tempted to get with Henry for some rough, dirty sex?”

She smiled. “Perv. Tempted as in thinking about going and actually doing it, no. I’ve fantasized about what he’d be like during personal play time a few times though, tried it with toys and my fingers.”

“Really. Well, if you ever need an outside opinion…”

“Mm, I’d love one. Let me ask you something back.”
“Sure.”
“If I did get with Henry, would you want to watch?”

“I know, I can feel it against my leg. It’s the rest of you I’m curious about.”

“You know that I never thought less of anyone who’s asked us to play, I just wasn’t interested in anyone else. If you had wanted to…”

Leah kissed the end of his nose. “I felt the same way, I still do. For me, it would be just another game for us to play. When I beg you to tie me up, I don’t think it’s because I’m a slave. It’s just fun. If we were to play with other people it wouldn’t mean I didn’t want you. You already know it’s you and me until the stars die. The thought of you in my bed for the rest of my life turns me on more than any fantasy.”

Cole leaned forward and kissed her. The feel of his lips made her heart beat faster, just like the first time he’d kissed her.
“You and me,” she whispered.

“Until the stars die.”

They began to kiss, gently caressing each other until Cole’s tablet pinged a few minutes later.
Leah picked it up. “They’re wondering where we are.”

“I guess we’d better get dressed then.”

She got up and looked through her case of clothes. “You know, this goes both ways.”

She shook her head. “I love you madly but sometimes you’re really clueless. What about this shirt?”

“I like that shirt a lot.”

“I know you do. Should I wear it?”

“Of course.”

Leah bent over and kissed the top of his head. “Probably part of the reason she’s checking you out is all the bragging I do about you.”

Cole’s lips found her nipple and she sighed. “You’re getting me excited, we have to go.”

“Really? I guess you’ll just have to be horny all evening.”

“Mmm, someone named Cole likes playing with fire.”

Leah moaned as he sucked harder and nipped at her nipple and then jumped as his fingers found her wet slit. “Cole! What are you doing?”

“Sorry, just wanted to have a taste,” he said, smiling up at her and licked his finger.

Leah fanned her face and went to find a pair of panties. “You are an evil beast, sir.”

“Leah!” Marie said when she opened the door. “It’s been forever, I can’t believe you came all this way!” She kissed Leah on the cheek.

Marie was gorgeous. She had pulled her long hair back and it was in a thick braid that almost reached her waist. The tightly pulled back hair made her dark eyes seem even larger. Marie was wearing a long gauzy skirt and tight embroidered vest with a tight shirt under it.

“Settling in okay?”

“Yeah, these habitats are nice. Get in here. Hi again, Cole.”

He bent to kiss her cheek but she turned her head at the last minute and he ended up kissing her on the lips. Marie opened her lips slightly and Cole kissed her for a couple seconds longer than a casual kiss.

Marie smiled at Leah. “You’re right, he is a good kisser.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Leah said.

“Hey there,” Henry said as they walked in. “They still don’t have the AC replaced.”

He was wearing a loose fitting pair of undyed linen pants and a guayabera shirt that was mostly unbuttoned.

“That’s okay, it’s nice and cool at night,” Cole said. “Let me show you how the fans work.”

Leah looked watched Henry as Cole showed him the control panel. He was a little taller that Marie, maybe Leah’s height if he stretched. He was slender and his light brown skin covered a nicely defined set of muscles. His eyes were a shade of hazel and he had incredibly long lashes.
When he patted Cole on the shoulder and bent over to feel the air coming out of the vent, Leah saw a glint inside of his shirt and remembered that he had pierced nipples. She wondered what he’d do if she tugged them with her teeth and felt her nipples harden a little.

Leah was wearing a pair of black drawstring pants made of loosely woven cotton and a Mandarin blouse in red silk. The buttons were widely spaced and she usually only left one of unbuttoned when they were going out, just enough to tease Cole. But she’d decided to really push his buttons tonight and left the top two open, leaving the shirt open down to between her breasts. Underneath she had a black silk demi-cup bra that cradled the girls nicely and ended below her nipples. If you peeked, they weren’t hard to see. Yep, Cole was going to pay for torturing her. And it was exciting, feeling the silk sliding over her nipples.

“Don’t worry, you look nice too,” Marie said, patting Cole’s back. He was wearing his own set of drawstring pants and a white cotton pullover he’d gotten from the tropical colony on St. Johns. “Simple, yet classic.”

“Thank you Marie, it’s nice to finally be appreciated,” Cole said.

Leah laughed. “As promised, one bottle of rum.”

“Beautiful,” Henry said, taking the bottle. “I’ll get some glasses.” A few minutes later he was back with a tray, ice, glasses and a pitcher of juice.

“Wait until you taste this juice,” Marie said. “We brought it from Hub, it comes from Juneo Hoh. It’s incredible.”

“Anything is better than bug juice,” Cole said as they sat down. Henry made drinks and passed them around.

“And as promised,” Marie said, reaching into her case and pulling out a large block of marijuana. “Wendy’s finest ‘dro.”

Cole opened the bag and inhaled. “God, that’s amazing,” he said, handing the bag to Leah to smell and she nodded. “I’ll go get my vape.”

Cole suddenly realized what they were talking about. “Oh, okay. I’ve done six of those portraits so far. I didn’t know if they liked them that much.”

“Liked them?” Henry said. “Uh, yeah. The three we saw were framed and lit with their own special lights. We saw the first one on the Pathfinder with all the ghostly explorers in the background pointing. Then the one on the Xuanzang, the ship heading for Hub with the Chinese junks escorting it, that was incredible. But the one of the RBN Singh Rawat, my god, man.”

“It was my favorite too, flying away from Earth with all the gods and goddesses running alongside it, crying…” Mara choked up and waved her hands in front of her eyes.

Leah put her arm around Marie’s shoulders. “You should have seen the captain when Cole presented it to her. She’s a Singh herself, a very stern Sikh. But she had pretty much the same reaction.”

“What are the other three you’ve done?” Henry asked.

“My first one was for the Tenzing Norgay, the ship is against the stars and an outline of Everest in the background. Then I did one for the Lewis and Clark that’s a bit like the Pathfinder.”

“I made him put in Sacajawea,” Leah said.

“She did. I’m so happy I listened, it totally made the portrait. The L&C is approaching a Slingshot gate and they’re all beckoning her to go through. And the Magellan, he’s in the starscape behind the ship, looking ahead with a telescope.”

“You’re amazing,” Marie said.

“Thank you ma’am.”

“Do you ever do people?” Henry asked. “Or just spaceships?”

“Of course I do people. I have the best model ever, how could I not?”

“You have to show us! Do you have them with you?” Marie asked.

“Go get them,” Leah said. “Otherwise we’ll all forget.”

“Okay, back in just a second,” Cole said, getting up.

He brought the book back and they gathered around a table and flipped through it.

“That one is great,” Henry said, pointing at one of Leah on St. John’s. He touched her shoulder but it turned into a caress. Cole saw her nipples harden under the silk. Henry noticed as well, not bothering to hide the fact he was looking and Leah didn’t seem to notice. Or she didn’t mind, Cole wasn’t sure which.

“Oh, that’s absolutely beautiful,” Marie said when she turned the page.
It was a sketch Cole was still working on. Leah was sitting on rock, looking up into the massive trees with a half-smile on her face. There was a patch of sunlight on her face. Cole planned to add Lakshmi eventually.

Cole thought about refusing, but watching Henry drool all over Leah was hot. And kind of fun but he wondered how far she’d push things. They hadn’t resolved anything and Leah tended to lose her head when she got horny. And she always got crazy horny when she was high. But it was the two of them forever, so he wasn’t too worried. Wendy’s weed didn’t hurt in helping him relax either.

Marie’s eyes widened when she turned the next page. “Cole!”

“That’s one of my best,” Cole said proudly.

He’d done it on St. Johns when they’d take a week at the beach. Leah had a flower behind her ear and was lying on her side, propped on one elbow. Behind her was a stretch of beach and a waterfall in the distance. She’d been teasing him all day before and Cole had poured every bit of his arousal into the picture, it wasn’t overtly sexual but every sensual line of Leah’s portrait was erotically charged.

Leah laughed. “Close your mouth Henry, you’ll catch a bug.”

“That’s absolutely amazing,” Henry said. “And I finally get to see what you look like under there.”

Leah laughed and they were soon talking about life on St. Johns. Henry was taking occasional peeks down her shirt, Leah acted like she didn’t notice but Cole could tell that she knew.

“So what do I have to do to get one of me like that?” Marie asked, pointing to the portrait.

“First I had to cock-tease him all day,” Leah said. “Then promise to do all sorts of dirty things to him.”

Marie laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Baby, now that I made you bring that over here, I feel bad,” Leah said. “Would you go put it back so I don’t spill something on it while I’m trashed?”

Cole laughed. “If you’ll feel better, sure.”

“I should put the pipe over there too, I don’t think there’s anything like that for a few hundred light years,” Marie said. “I’ll follow you, Cole.”

Henry looked at Leah after they left. “Cole is a good man.”

“The best. I’m lucky.”

“It almost makes me feel bad about wanting to fuck the shit out of you.”

“Henry, you’ve heard me fuck Cole. Do you honestly think you could do better than that?”

“Wouldn’t know until I tried, would we?” Henry said, looking down her shirt.
He looked up, surprised, when she pulled it wider to let him look.

“I’d give you a chance, but you’d fail,” Leah said.

Henry reached out, pretending to go for her tit. He was surprised again when she leaned forward to meet his hand. He cupped her breast through the shirt.
“You sure about that?”

Leah bit her lip. “Maybe. Just one chance, so you’d better make it count.”

She looked him in the eye as she unbuttoned her shirt the rest of the way, letting it fall open.

“I don’t know how to thank you enough for bringing me this,” Cole said, rinsing out the pipe.

“I’m sure we can figure something out,” Marie said. She was tempted to jump him but didn’t want to screw up her friendships. They walked back across the walkway to the other hab and she looked up and gasped.

“What is that?”

“It’s called the Lesser Arboreal Nebula, we’re just far away to see all of it,” Cole said. “They have an amazing sky here.”

They stood and looked up for a few minutes and Cole was getting very aware of how close she was standing.

“I’m going to love working here,” she said finally. “I guess we should go back in and see what they’re up to.”

The lights had been turned down and the other two were missing. Cole followed Marie into the bedroom. Leah was breathing hard and there was a rhythmic wet sound. He saw her then, lying on the edge of the bed. Her shirt and bra were gone, her pants were around her ankles and her panties pulled down around her knees. Leah was gasping and grunting, fists clenched in the sheets while Henry sucked hard on one of her nipples. His other hand was busy between her legs. Leah was lifting her hips against his hand as it slapped against her pubic mound, driving his fingers into her wet sex.

“Holy shit,” Marie said quietly.

Leah’s eyes opened and she looked at Cole. Her eyebrows went up slightly and he could tell what she was asking him. She looked at Marie and the bed beside her before arching her back and cumming on Henry’s fingers. She groaned as he added a third finger.

Marie touched his arm. “I didn’t know you two were open now?” she whispered, looking worried.

“Evidently we are. You’re our first,” Cole said.

She smiled at him. “That makes me really happy.”

She unbuttoned the vest and slipped it off. The shirt underneath wasn’t only skin tight, it was translucent and Cole traced her dark little nipples through it.

“Do you want to stay in here with them?”

He nodded and she smiled. “It’s hot, isn’t it?”

Marie pulled his shirt over his head as he pulled her close. They kissed as she pulled him over to the bed and pushed him backward onto it. She laid beside him and Cole pushed her skirt up. Marie lifted her hips to help him, she wasn’t wearing any panties and moaned when his fingers touched her wet flesh.

Leah took a deep breath as Henry’s fingers pushed deeper into her. She was ridiculously wet, having someone else’s fingers in her was so dirty and hot. Leah looked over at them and smiled.
“Isn’t she gorgeous?” she whispered to Henry. Watching Cole and Marie make out while they undressed each other made it even better.

Marie smiled at her and whispered something in Cole’s ear and he turned to watch Henry pull Leah’s panties the rest of the way off. Leah’s eyes were closed as Henry pushed her legs wider with his knee.

Cole turned back to Marie, kissing along her jaw and neck to her shoulder. She pulled off her shirt and sighed happily as he kissed his way down to her breasts. His fingers slid over her sex at the same time his lips found her nipple, holding it as his tongue danced and swirled over it.
Marie was breathing harder, pushing her hips up to meet Cole’s stroking fingers. He began to tease her other nipple but she couldn’t take it anymore and twisted her fingers in his hair, pushing his head lower. She sighed happily when he put her legs over his shoulders, whimpering as he began to circle her hard clit with his tongue.

“Good idea,” Henry said and Leah looked over to see Marie arching her back, pulling Cole’s mouth tighter to her pussy. Leah pushed herself up the bed as Henry got between her legs.

“Ohh fuck,” Leah gasped as Henry shoved two fingers into her at the same time he sucked hard on her clit. She grabbed his head, forgetting all about Cole. “Do it, like that!” she groaned as he sucked.

Leah whimpered as his finger slid out but her head went back and she started cumming hard as he suddenly shoved three into her, fucking them in and out and tugging her clit with his teeth. Leah humped against his mouth.
“Suck me good, you’re gonna make me come so hard, fuck that cunt, c’mon…” She screamed as orgasm after orgasm hit her like a freight train.

Cole moaned and she looked at the other couple. Marie had him on his back, stroking his cock with the head in her mouth. She pushed down and Leah watched, fascinated, as she kept going until her nose was against Cole’s pubic bone. Leah could see her throat bulging before Marie came up and took a deep breath before taking it in her throat again. She had to get Marie to teach her how to do that. Leah wondered what she’d look like fucking Lakshmi and came hard on Henry’s face again. She groaned, lifting her hips as a finger pushed into her ass, twisting back and forth. He was turning out to be as good as she’d heard.
After another orgasm Leah pushed Henry away and she sat up and pulled his pants off. He was very hard and his cock looked huge on his slender frame. Leah began sucking and licking, determined to get it all in her mouth.

Leah gagged and gasped, then pushed her mouth down again. Henry’s head went back and he grabbed Leah’s head, thrusting hard into her mouth. Leah moaned, feeling him push into her throat. Then she had to breathe again, using her teeth on Henry’s cock to get him to let go.

“I’ve wanted to see your lips wrapped around my cock since the day we met,” Henry said, looking down at her. “I didn’t think it would take this long but you met that fucking flyboy.”

“The one buried in Marie’s throat you mean? Sounds like he’s making her cum pretty hard, I don’t think you can keep up with him after all,” she taunted him.

Henry wrapped his fingers in her hair, pulling her mouth down as he thrust hard again. Leah moaned, putting her hand between her legs. She was so wet.

“It’s okay,” Marie whispered in Cole’s ear. “She likes it and she’s right. You’re making me cum so good. I want you to fuck me now, okay? Get between my legs and push that beautiful cock all the way in me.” She took his hand and put it between her legs. “Feel how wet I am for you? Come on lover, fuck me nice and deep.”

Cole turned, leaning forward until Marie was back against the pillows. She took him in her hand, rubbing the head up and down her wet lips.

“Feel it? I’m gonna put you in, just…oh my god…”

Marie’s eyes rolled back into her head and Cole thrust into her. His cock easily slid all of the way up her cunt and she squeezed him, her body tensing as she came.

Henry pushed Leah back and flipped her onto her stomach. Leah pulled her legs up, getting on her knees. She gasped as he slapped her ass.

“Spread it.”

Leah reached back to spread herself. She moaned as he pushed the head into her and pushed back, trying to get more. Henry shoved himself in hard, pushing her flat on the bed. Leah came again as he began slamming into her, their flesh slapping together. She screamed into the pillow as his cock thudded into her cervix over and over.

I’m so going to regret this tomorrow, but right now… Another orgasm began to race through her and Leah groaned.

Marie was breathing hard, her cunt tightening as she watched the other two and orgasmed again. Leah opened her eyes and looked at Cole. She moaned as Henry speared into her again, keeping her eyes on Cole’s. Henry grabbed her hips and pulled her back against his cock. Leah imagined Cole finding her like this, furious. He’d come over here and shove his cock in her mouth, shoving it deep until her throat bulged like Marie’s… The orgasm was too intense this time and Leah collapsed into it, going limp and letting Henry pound her.

“She’s okay,” Marie said and kissed him. “And it gives me an idea.” She lifted one leg and put it on his shoulder, then the other. Cole looked down, watching his cock push deep. “Now fuck me hard Cole. Show that motherfucker how to pound a cunt!”

He pulled almost all the way and shoved back in.

Marie began to breathe harder, gasping out encouragement as he bottomed out deep inside of her, over and over.

“You’re making…me cum…all over…your cock…yes! YES!” Marie screamed as she pushed up against him and Cole fucked her even harder.

Henry pulled out and Leah looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Giving up?”

“What do you think?” Henry asked, pouring oil on his cock.

Leah’s stomach was full of butterflies. She didn’t know if she could take it that roughly in the ass but she wasn’t going to back down.

“Better make it good, because it still sounds like Marie’s getting a better fuck than me.”

Henry dragged her to the edge of the bed. Leah let her legs fall over the side. She reached back, spreading her ass. She wanted this, she wanted him to cum up her ass, right in front of her husband. Cole was looking down at Marie, slamming into her as Marie convulsed and moaned, over and over.

Henry pushed an oily finger up her ass and Leah grunted, pushing back. She gasped as he used a second finger, sawing them in and out a few times.

Leah looked back as he ran his cock up and down her ass crack. “I want it nice and hard,” she said. “Make me feel that cock.”

He put it against her ass and shoved. Leah gasped, reaching down to rub her clit. She grunted as he shoved again, forcing more of it into her asshole. Another shove and she was on the edge of an orgasm, feeling him sliding so deep inside of her.

“Fuck my ass!” Cole heard Leah wail.

“Look at them,” Marie said. Leah had her face in the sheets, Henry’s hands were clenched on her hips as he thrust in and out of her.

“I want you to cum nice and deep in me,” Marie said as she watched the other pair. “But next time, I want you to fuck my ass. I want to have my mouth between your wife’s legs, eating her while your cock makes me cum over and over. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” Cole gasped and she squeezed his cock, looking up at him.

“Good. Now fuck me nice and deep, I want you to cum so bad. I can’t wait to feel it, I’ve wanted to fuck you for so long. C’mon, faster, cum with me.”

He was breathing hard, fucking her with short strokes.

“Yes, just like that,” Marie whimpered.

He shoved hard once more and the feeling of his cum set her off and she squeezed him, wanting all of his cum. When her breathing had slowed, she moved her legs, pulling him on top of her and Cole kissed her neck and nipples.

“She never wanted to share you,” Marie whispered in his ear. “Now I know why, just give me one more, come on.”

Cole pulled all the way out and slid smoothly all the way inside of her again. Marie felt their cum run out and down the crack of her as. Her back arched as she pulled Cole into a deep kiss. Beside them, Henry was cumming in Leah as she rode out her own orgasm. Marie covered his face with little kisses.

“That was amazing, thank you,” she whispered in his ear. “When Leah catches her breath, take her home and hold her. She’s going to crash off the emotions and wonder if it was a mistake.”

He nodded and she kissed him once more.

Leah’s legs were wobbly and Cole helped her to bed. He got in beside her and spooned against her.

“Don’t be an idiot. I’ll always want to hold you. Even when you’re goopy.”

“You always have such lovely answers. Thank you for this, I had fun. I hope you did too. I’m sleepy.”
“Me too,” Cole said and soon they were both asleep.

|6.0
There was a tap at the door the next morning and Cole opened it to find Henry standing here.

“Hey, c’mon in.”

Henry looked uncomfortable. “Uhm, are we good? I was spouting some rude shit last night.”

Cole shrugged. “I don’t think you had a hope in hell of winning.”

Henry laughed. “Marie says I didn’t. You are the champion.”

Cole shook Henry’s hand. “We’re good, really. Leah wanted to play a game and you made her happy. Marie is lovely, I think she had fun. All is well. We were just putting lunch together, come in. Where’s Marie?”

“Hanging back to let me apologize for being an asshole.”

“You’re a lovable asshole, come in and we’ll drink beer.”

The two couples sat around the table eating and trading stories.

“What’ve you guys got going on today?” Leah asked. “I was thinking of checking out the hot springs.”

“Ooh, yes,” Marie said.

“I’m hanging out here, drinking beer and listening to music with Xerx,” Cole said to Henry. “You’re welcome to hang out.”

“That sounds great, I’m tired of being hot. Can I ask Aggie to link in? I think she’s a little lonely, she didn’t like the SI on the Ericsson.”

The rest of the colony was in the middle of their work cycle so Leah and Marie had the place to themselves.

Marie sighed, leaning her head back against the cushion. “I love being in the field, really I do. But the idea of a hot bath whenever I want one is so tempting.”

Leah nodded, slowly lowering herself into the hot water. “All we need are some stud masseuses and we’d have the perfect spa.”

“Ooh, drinks with little umbrellas. Hey, I really want to ask you something.”

Leah laughed. “I know, you’ve been practically bouncing up and down all morning.”

“Have not. What changed your minds about being open? The weed?”

“We’ve smoked pot together before without anything happening.”

“Except you dragging Cole into a closet and having noisy sex that time.”

“Pish-posh. We just get carried away sometimes. It’s kind of a complicated answer actually. Will you swear this stays between us, for now? Not even Henry.”

Marie sat up. “Of course, and he’s a chatterbox, I know. This does sound like a complicated answer.”

“It started at the end of our first survey leg….”

As she told Marie the story, Leah had to keep herself from laughing. Marie didn’t interrupt her once, not a single question. She just sat there with her mouth hanging open.

“…then on the way back to the colony we both were constantly incredibly horny. It has to do with the seal she used to keep the plug in. I had a meeting with a guy in the comms section and ended up getting incredibly horny in front of him. I nearly dragged him off into the tall grass.”

Marie shook her head. “I can’t imagine what I would’ve done.”

“It was so fucking intense, but I didn’t want our secret to get out. When I got back, I told Cole what had happened and he got really turned on…”

Marie was actually breathing hard by the end of the story. “That’s fucking incredible. I don’t know what part of that is more amazing.”

“I thought that’s what you’d say. Look, I have a lot of serious questions and a xeno-bio is just the person to ask.”

“About the compatibility? Yeah, it’s got Founders written all over it. You’ll have to wait for any analysis that’s more in depth but I think they were as engineered as any of us. I was wondering, how are you guys doing this morning? He’s okay with it? I know he got tense a couple of times watching you last night.”

“He’s doing better than I am to be honest. I jumped the gun, we hadn’t actually talked it through the whole way and I have a little guilt about that and some other stuff.”

Marie floated over to the bench where Leah was sitting and sat next to her. “I thought you seemed a little…subdued, I guess. Did he say anything about that?”

“He didn’t even bring it up, just told me he figured it was coming and didn’t mind. He did he admit he got a little uncomfortable watching Henry be rough but I had warned him and he was pretty sure I could kick Henry’s ass.”

Marie laughed. “I’m pretty sure too.”

“He said you were helping him keep calm, so thank you. Not for getting him to let it continue, for helping him not…I don’t know. Not hurt or be uncomfortable.”

Marie put her arm around Leah. “You look sad, don’t be. Like he said this morning, everyone had fun. Everything seems back to normal today.”

“Marie, I have this feeling that I kind of dragged him into this. First there was the thing with the Anek. He was helpless on the floor and I saw him but instead of helping, I just wanted to be fucked more.”

“Weren’t they influencing you though?”

“Yeah, but then there was the meeting with that asshole Gavin.”

“But instead of jumping him, you went home and jumped Cole instead.”

Leah looked up. “Without the babies, I would have Marie. I would have been an absolute whore and fucked him without a second thought.”

“Do you think so? Without the babies inside you, you wouldn’t have had those feelings. Have you seen him since?”

“Yeah, two days ago.”

“Any temptations?”

“He knew I was checking him out and wanted to push the issue. The only temptation I had to avoid was kicking the shit out of him.”

Marie kissed her check. “So you see? I’m right. What was it like with…Lakshmi? When you were with her?”

“That’s totally different, it’s impossible to describe but we’re sort of in each other’s head. They’re both so sweet and kind and loving. The opposite of Gavin.”

“Now you’re making me want to try it even more,” Marie said. “And with us?”

“Well, I was high, but I wanted him to find me like that. Half naked with Henry on top of me.”

“No! Because I wanted him to see how sexy it could be. I wanted him to fuck you right there.”

“Okay. So what would’ve happened if we hadn’t come back in?”

Leah smiled. “You had four more minutes, I was watching the clock. I would have come looking for him.”

“And if he had seen you and walked back out?”

Leah shuddered a little. “I don’t want to think about that. I would have gone after him.”

“But he happily joined in, playing your game and even worrying that you were safe. Think about your personalities Leah, it comes out in sex too. You’re the adventurer and he’s the protector. You two have always been that way.”

“I just don’t want him to think he’s got to worry or that he’s less of a man or something.”

Marie laughed. “You think I was kidding when I said that I haven’t been fucked that well in a while? No one there thought that Cole was less of a man and seeing the way you look at each other, I don’t think he’s worried. He said he’s not, did you believe him?”

Leah nodded. “He’s a terrible liar.”

“So this is all in your head, not his. Part of you two being perfect for each other is the dynamic of you charging ahead and him slowing you down, keeping you safe while you drag him into new things.”

Leah smiled and leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re a very wise woman.”

“Thanks, you just needed a push. You’re right, you need some time together, to reassure each other but I’m not worried.”

“You and Henry are okay?”

She sighed. “No, we’re not. Nothing about last night, we’re just at the end of our road, he’s going to head out on the Ericsson when we’re done here. It’s okay, we had a good run and breakup sex is lots of fun.”

“Really?”

Marie nodded. “Oh yeah. Last night I woke up really horny. So I woke him up to taunt him about not being as good a lay as Cole. We had some very fun hate sex.”

“You’re going to get me all horny again.”

“Yeah, I’m already horny again. I’m going to have a hard time getting back to the hab without my hand in my pants. Seeing Henry fucking you in the ass like that? I was already thinking about that but then I hear about sexy aliens, holy shit!”

Leah laughed. “I wondered if that would turn you on.”

Marie looked at her. “Are you fucking kidding me? That is one of the hottest things I’ve ever heard. I’m tempted to run back to the hab just to get myself off.”

“Of course, and we should make sure you’re safe.” Leah got out and sat behind Marie. “I’ll keep my arms around you so you don’t float away. Don’t worry about Cole, you have to do all the work yourself.”

“Something tells me he wouldn’t mind,” Marie said, settling back into Leah’s arms. “Did he tell you what I said?”

“About what?”

“I told him I wanted him to fuck me in the ass, that I wanted to be eating you when he did.”

“You keep that up, you’re going to get Cole laid later.”

“I want the three of us to play.” Marie leaned back and sighed as she played with her nipples. “Did you like watching the two of us together? I really liked watching you two fuck like wild things…oh oh oh!”

Leah smiled as Marie gasped and shuddered.

“Keep holding me, I need more,” Marie moaned.

“Greedy.”

“Uh huh. Answer me, did you like it?”

“Yes, I want to deep-throat him like you did. Seeing that bulge in your throat was so hot, I thought…”

“What?” Marie panted, moving her hands between her legs. She exposed her clit, gently tapping it.

“I made myself cum thinking about how you’d look with Lakshmi in your throat.”

Marie’s back arched and she whimpered. “I want to try that so badly.”

“The Eldest mentioned there would be more of them that wanted to implant humans.”

Marie moaned, pushing a finger between her lips. “Tell me what would happen.”

Leah moved a hand to Marie’s breast, circling her nipple. “The male is first. He would begin to touch and you’d start feeling very good. Warm and relaxed, really wet. He’d be accessing your nerves, making you want him to keep going. One of their sets of arms is very small, just used for sex. They’re very sensitive and he’ll stroke your skin, making sure you’re ready for him.”

“Oh fuck” Marie moaned, her body tensing again.

Leah couldn’t take it and put a hand between her own legs. “He explored my vagina with the tiny hands, they’re very small, only a few centimeters across, he stroked me inside, learning my body. He seemed fascinated by my clit. They’re very sexual, he put his penis in my vagina out of curiosity, just to see what it felt like.”

“What’s it like?” Marie whispered.

“It’s kept in a pocket underneath their body. It felt large, and it’s prehensile.”

“What!”

“They don’t thrust with their hips, the penis moves back and forth on its own.”

“I want to get fucked like that so bad,” Marie moaned as she came again.

Leah began to rub her own clit and Marie wriggled, feeling Leah’s hand between them. “Your nipples are so hard against my back. What happens then? You said they put them in your ass.”

“The eggs use your waste, yes. He’ll pick you up and turn you over, pulling you underneath him. He wanted me to stay excited, he kept stroking my vagina with one hand while the other rubbed something slippery over my ass. Then he guided his cock into my ass.”

Leah was starting to breathe harder and she reached around, twisting and tugging on Marie’s nipple. Marie moaned, putting her hand over Leah’s.

“What’s it like?”

“It felt huge, it just kept squirming around, going deeper. I heard him think that the eggs had to be deep inside. It didn’t hurt, just stretched me and filled me so good. He pulled me tighter, like a man would, but held me still while his penis, it kind of rippled, I could feel it pumping my ass full.”

Marie leaned back hard, whimpering. “Then the female?”

“Yes, she picked me up and her egg tube was even wider but it felt so good and she was so gentle and loving. I wanted her babies so bad and I begged her to fuck me. She held me still, and I could feel them rushing out of her, feel them widen me a little bit as they passed through. She whispered beautiful things to me, telling me how wonderful I was. As she pulled out, her tiny arms pushed something into me and I felt it solidify, keeping their young inside.”

Marie’s body tensed again and she moaned loudly. Leah pinched her nipple hard and it made Marie cum even louder. Leah rubbed her clit faster, starting to cum. She pulled Marie tight, her hips pushing her wet sex over Marie’s lower back.

“How are you doing,” Marie asked after a couple minutes.

“Cole’s still getting fucked,” Leah panted. “But I’ll make it home.”

Marie turned around in her arms, kneeling between Leah’s legs. She smiled, caressing Leah’s cheek.

“I want to hear more about this, but I’m already having a hard enough time not pushing you back and licking your pussy right now. Maybe the three of us can be naked and talk about it.”

Stubs & Orphans

This is a collection of stuff that was too good to throw away; orphan dialogue from situations that never happened and scenes from extinct plot lines. Included free of charge are occasional peeks, reviews, reactions and reflections from the world around me.